


One More Tomorrow

by Sandnose



Series: In the Throes of War [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, Fear, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mando'a, Near Death Experiences, Post-Episode: s04e10 Carnage of Krell, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Songfic, Sort Of, Survivor Guilt, Umbara (Star Wars), bc that deserves its own warning, clones worry about the future sometimes, don't worry there's a lot of comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-16 02:07:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23805469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sandnose/pseuds/Sandnose
Summary: Umbara has been hard for everyone. Sacrifices have been made. Orders have been disobeyed. So many lives have been lost. Once the marching is done and the objective has been reached, it cannot get much worse, surely.//Medics are meant to help others heal, but who is there when they are the ones who are hurting?
Relationships: CT-5597 | Jesse/CT-6116 | Kix
Series: In the Throes of War [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1694026
Comments: 12
Kudos: 59





	1. Chapter 1

“_Di’kute_.” Kix muttered under his breath as he walked away from the landing pad where he had just witnessed Jesse and Fives being reprimanded and detained by order of General Krell.

Sure, he had known about their scatter-brained plan from the beginning, but he never thought that it would take this turn. And when Hardcase did not come back with them…

Kix had had enough mourning for one day – hells, practically a lifetime – and thought it best to focus on saving what brothers he still could. There were some men in pretty critical condition that the other medics had assured him they would take care of, so he went on to see what he could do for his more stable patients.

A lot of bruises, scrapes, gashes, and laser-burns from close calls, but not nearly enough bacta to go around. General Kenobi’s troops would have had more supplies than them, as the 501st was only supposed to be supplementary. 

_We were never meant to run head-on into anything_. Kix thought to himself bitterly. _General Skywalker would never have done something like this to us – to anyone!_

He shook his head as he tightened the bandages around a trooper’s torso, gently apologizing as the other let out a hiss of pain. Even that little discomfort he had caused weighed heavily on the medic’s shoulders, almost as much as all of the deaths and grave injuries he had witnessed in the past few hours.

Of course, he was not the one to deal the blows, nor the one to issue the orders. He was not even the one who wanted to _follow_ said orders. Yet the losses felt just as heavy as if he was. He could not shake all of the times he could have saved a life if he had just been a little faster, been a little closer. He felt a coldness in his chest for every body that he had had to leave behind, and a twinge of repulsion for those that he had witnessed become prey for the cursed planet’s flora and fauna. All of those men, all of those _brothers_ who would never get to go home. Never get a proper send-off. Never get to leave this damned place. It should not have been this way. I should not have been them. It should have been—

“Kix?”

He was pulled from his thoughts by the soft tone of the youngest of their squad.

“Yes, Tup?”

“General Krell has ordered us to assemble a firing squad for a prisoner execution.” He said, eyeing the leftover roll of bandages that Kix was currently holding in a death grip. “Guess he wants to make an example out of the captured Umbarans.”

“Can’t say I agree with Krell, but I think that’s an order I can follow.” Kix sighed as he released the bandages, setting them on the counter and dismissing the injured trooper to the barracks. He gave Tup a tired nod as he followed him out of the room.

* * *

“I can’t believe that Dogma got put in charge.” Tup huffed as he watched his batchmate walk the small line of armed men, inspecting their blasters. “Knew he was kissing up to Krell, what a _sheb'urcyin_.”

Kix could not hold back an indignant snort at the younger’s words. “Been getting colorful with your Mando’a, haven’t you, Tup.” He gave a warm smirk to the flush on the other’s cheeks.

“Alright men, move out!” Came Dogma’s order, which Kix had to fight rolling his eyes at. While he may not be a shinie, Dogma had not been far from Kamino for long, yet he was already eyeing the higher ranks. Kix would never discourage a fellow man from pursuing such things, but if it meant bending over backwards for what had to be the _worst_ military leader in the GAR, he would say it is certainly not worth it.

The uniform march out to the hanger deck was unextraordinary. Kix allowed his mind to clear, assumed his position and transitioned into the good soldier he had been born to– _made_ to be.

“Line up the prisoners!”

Kix kept his eyes fixed forward, no sense in throwing off his focus for the task at hand.

Until the last person he thought would ever be at the business end of his rifle stood before him.

_Jesse_.

Kix felt his vision begin to tunnel as Dogma delivered more orders – and his body blindly followed them. He tried to regain himself as Fives raised his voice in protest from where he stood beside his fellow trooper.

Jesse just looked resigned. A stark contrast to the snarky, humorous man he knew. The man he love—

“Fire!”

Six shots rang out simultaneously. 

Not a single one hit its target.

Kix let out the breath of relief he had not even realized he had been holding.  
When all of their blasters hit the ground, it was like he had been broken out of a trance. 

He would not take his eyes off of Jesse, for fear that he might just disappear from view for even a second. That all of this would turn out to be some new sick, twisted torture among this nightmare of a mission.

“Take off their binders.” Rex ordered levelly.

Kix had not realized he had been smiling until Jesse returned it when his hands were freed. Kix only relaxed slightly when Jesse took steps towards him, and the spell had not broken. 

This was real.

And so was the slap he gave the tattooed trooper.

Jesse blinked a few times in shock as he rubbed his stinging cheek, eventually straightening back up to look at the medic quizzically. 

He then ended up with an armful of his relieved partner as Kix all but collapsed onto him. Jesse could barely distinguish words from the hushed mumbling that flooded from Kix’s lips as trembling hands gripped onto his shoulders and arms and back, trying desperately to gain purchase and remind himself that the other was still there.

“_Udesii_.” Jesse shushed as his own unstable hands pulled the other closer to him, one hand coming up to cup Kix’s head, which came to rest heavily on his shoulder.

While he did not feel the dampness of tears, he could hear the fierce shakiness in Kix’s breath, and he could definitely relate. “_Udesii_, Kix. I’m here.”

They were both only so aware of what was going on around them to know that the other troopers had moved on, giving the two their privacy. Jesse had had a brief exchange of a caring glance with Tup, who had lingered a bit longer, just to make sure that they were alright on their own.

“It’s over, Kix. I’m fine. Fives is fine. We saved everyone, and you all saved us. It’s all going to be alright now.”

“You were going to be executed.” Kix huffed out, almost in disbelief of the events that had transpired only moments before.

“Yeah, but now everything’s fine.” He helped ease Kix from off of his shoulder so that he could meet the other’s eyes. “And we’re going to go to the medbay and settle you down now.”

“You were going to be executed.” Kix stated again. “Y-you should be the one who needs to go to the medbay!”

“Well then, how about we call it even and go there together? Maybe we could even call it a date.” Jesse was glad to see that he had retained his sense of humor after all.

Jesse carefully started to lead Kix off toward the barracks, supporting him with a firm grip on his upper arm. The two slowed their pace as they saw Tup and two guards approach them.

“We’ve just received new deployment orders.” The younger trooper said to Kix, before turning his attention to Jesse. “And the ‘traitors’ have been ordered to be returned to their cell at once.” He added regretfully.

Kix stiffened and Jesse could not hold back the slight flinch at the word Tup used. But this was war, and as soldiers to the Republic, their orders would come first.

Jesse gave Kix’s arm one last reassuring squeeze before he stepped aside to let the guards approach and cuff him. He gave Tup an encouraging smile as the other assumed his position next to Kix, who just stared straight ahead as they continued on toward the barracks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando'a:  
_di’kut_ – idiot, useless individual, waste of space (lit. someone who forgets to put their pants on) (-_e_ = plural)  
_sheb'urcyin_ – sycophant, toady, *butt-kisser*  
_udesii_ – calm down, take it easy
> 
> Here's my Star Wars blog on tumblr, if you wanna request anything or just say hi! —> [not-so-shiny-shinie](https://not-so-shiny-shinie.tumblr.com/)


	2. Chapter 2

The waiting was the hardest part.

Sure, he had been at the mercy of a firing squad made up of his closest friends just a few hours ago, but being stuck in this cell was _haran_.

At least he was not alone. Fives was all the entertainment he needed.

“This is ridiculous, all of this.” The ARC muttered, half to himself. “If Rex had just listened to me _at all_, none of this would be happening. And Rex can’t say I didn’t warn him – I’ve been speaking up about this no-good ‘general’ since that idiotic frontal assault on the main road. Sometimes I wonder who the _di’kut_ really is around here…”

“Heh, Kix calls me that too.” Jesse softly chuckled and Fives halted his pacing and rambling.

It was a painful reminder that their brothers were still out there completing the mission – fighting to take the planet, but more so fighting for their lives.

“And I know for a fact that that’s what he’ll be calling me when he gets back.” Jesse continued, hoping to break up the awkward tension that had formed within the confined cell. “Honestly, I think he uses that more often than my name nowadays.”

Fives could not help but laugh at that. The laugh gained a snort when Jesse gave him a genuinely confused “What?” with a matching expression.

“Oh, I’m sure you do plenty to deserve it, Jesse.” He elaborated as his laughter died down. Jesse gave a few mirthful chuckles himself.

Seeing the other smile like that made a warmth blossom in Fives’ chest. Jesse and Kix really had something special, something that not every clone had – and what many of them would never even know of in their lifetime. He would be lying if he said he did not envy them, but at the same time he never had any resentment towards them for the luck that they had been shown. Who was he to deny anyone their own unique happiness, especially someone he cared about?

“What’s with the sappy look, Fives? Prison making you go soft?” Jesse commented in response the gentle brown eyes regarding him.

“No, it takes a bit more to break me.” He replied, only half joking. “I was just thinking about you and Kix. I, uh, saw you go to him after the uh– earlier. How was he?”

Jesse looked down at his boot as he hugged a leg to his chest, going still where he sat against the cell wall. “About as good as you can be after thinking you would have to execute the ones you love.” He said, the humor in his tone starting to get distant. “I-I’m worried about him, Fives. I should really be with him. Sure, he was shook up about that, but I think that this whole detail is starting to get to him. You know how he is–.”

“The big, strong medic who wants to save everybody. Yeah, I know.” Fives gave a weak smile as various memories of said medic doing just that flashed through his mind, alongside fresher memories of all of the men that he could not save…

“I just want to be there for him, like I always am. And all of this has made me realize what if I _couldn’t_ be there for him? What if I could _never_ be by his side again.”

“Jesse, don’t talk like that.” Fives said sharply. “You start digging that hole, you might not be able to get yourself out of it.”

“But it’s true, Fives, and you know it.” He said, looking up to meet Fives’ gaze with watery, faraway eyes. “_This_ is what we’re made for. War. We’re meant to fight and die in this war. But what happens if we don’t? There’s no orders for that. If you don’t have a war, you don’t need soldiers anymore. You don’t need medics anymore. What will we do? What will they do with us then?”

These were all things Fives had thought about himself, though they had not been more than passing thoughts until his ARC training. He had yet to form more solid opinions on the matter, but there were a few things he could say with earnest.

“Jesse, we’re not all going to die in this war. There’s a whole galaxy waiting for us on the other side of this, and I promise you there are places for all of us out there. Soldiers can put down their weapons and take up different roles. Medics can become doctors and continue to help people from all walks of life. And we can all stay together, still be brothers even without a war.”

He lowered himself to one knee at Jesse’s side. “We _will_ make it through this. We will see this mission through, and the next, and the next after that. As many missions as it takes to end this war and then we’ll be free.”

Fives laid a hand on Jesse’s bare shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze to break his friend out of the trap that was his own mind. When Jesse gave him a few thoughtful blinks in response, Fives’ lips upturned faintly, and he eased the other’s tense muscles under his hand with his fingers.

Fives lowered himself fully to the floor to allow Jesse to lean against him for support, the older trooper letting out steady, deep breaths in the hope that the other would follow suit.

Jesse’s stiff hand came to clutch Fives’, the grip slowly easing as both troopers breathing settled out.

Both of their attentions were caught when they heard the elevation platform outside their cell activating. Both held their breath as neither knew what it might bring down to them.

When Rex, Tup, and Kix arrived in front of them, they could not help the slight sigh of relief that escaped them.

Rex handed them both rifles without a word. By the look of all three men fully outfitted and their armor battle-damaged, it was safe to assume that they were not going to be taken to a firing squad again.

Both troopers took the offered weapons and fell into position among their fellow soldiers.

Jesse settled next to Kix as the medic tapped on the platform’s control panel, but his attention stayed focused on the technology rather than acknowledging his partner.

“Kix, what’s going on? Why are you letting us out now?” He pressed gently.

“There’s no time to explain. We have to get you two back in your armor and in position.” Kix replied in his no-nonsense medic tone.

Jesse and Fives exchanged a slightly perplexed look, but otherwise said nothing. Really, anything beat being in that cell for even a moment longer.

When they reached the guard station and Jesse and Fives has replaced their armor, Rex finally spoke up.

“We’re going to arrest General Krell for treason against the Republic.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando'a:  
_haran_ – hell - literally, destruction, cosmic annihilation  
_di’kut_ – idiot, useless individual, waste of space (lit. someone who forgets to put their pants on)
> 
> Here's my Star Wars blog on tumblr, if you wanna request anything or just say hi! —> [not-so-shiny-shinie](https://not-so-shiny-shinie.tumblr.com/)


End file.
